SINCE THE LAST 

PLANNING UPDATE

 Much has occurred since the 

last planning update was issued in 

June 2000. As you know from the 

notices we have been sending out, 

we have spent much of the last 

year conducting public workshops 

to address a number of 

topics related to the Comprehensive Conservation Plan. Topics of 

discussion have included goals 

and objectives, restoration planning and public use. A summary 

of each of these topics is provided 

in this planning update. 

In the Update:

Progress To Date . . . . . . . . . .1

Mission Statement . . . . . . . . 2

Draft Refuge Goals . . . . . . . . 2

Refuge Purposes . . . . . . . . . . 3

Restoration Planning . . . . . . .3

Public Use Update . . . . . . . . 3

Website Information . . . . . . . 3

Contact Information . . . . . . . 4

CCP Schedule

 The draft CCP/EIS is expected 

to be available for public review 

in late winter 2001/2002.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 

Sweetwater Marsh 

National Wildlife Refuge

South San Diego Bay Unit of the 

San Diego National Wildlife Refuge

October 2001 - Planning Update 2

PROGRESS TO DATE

 Over the past fifteen months, 

considerable progress has been 

made in developing a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for 

the Sweetwater Marsh and South 

San Diego Bay Refuges. Since 

our last planning update, the planning team has held two public 

scoping workshops in the South 

Bay and solicited written comments from interested agencies, 

organizations, and individuals. 

 

 The initial workshops were well 

attended, with more than 60 people present to provide their input. 

From the comments received, a 

broad list of issues and opportunities were identified.

 Because public interest in the 

CCP was so high during the initial 

scoping process, the project team 

decided to hold additional focused 

workshops. Five workshops have 

been held to date and all have 

been well attended, averaging 

over 40 participants per meeting. 

These workshops focused on refuge goals and objectives, options 

for habitat restoration, public use, 

and refuge management. 

 The discussions at these workshops have been very constructive, and have generated comments that represent a wide range 

of interests and opinions. The 

project team thanks all those who 

have participated.

Sweetwater 

Marsh NWR

South San 

Diego Bay 

Unit
NATIONAL WILDLIFE 

REFUGE SYSTEM

MISSION STATEMENT

 “To administer a national network of lands and waters for the 

conservation, management, and, 

where appropriate, restoration 

of the fish, wildlife, and plant

resources and their habitats 

within the United States for the 

benefit of present and future 

generations of Americans.” 

 2

Draft Refuge Goals for the Sweetwater Marsh NWR 

• Protect, enhance, restore, and manage coastal wetland and upland habitats to benefit native fish, wildlife and plant 

 species.

• Protect, enhance, and manage populations of endangered and threatened species and other species of concern, with 

 special emphasis on California Least Tern, Western Snowy Plover, Light-footed Clapper Rail and salt marsh bird’s 

 beak, through habitat restoration and population management.

• Protect and restore the environmental health of the Refuge’s coastal salt marsh and upland habitats by making 

 contaminants remediation a priority for the Refuge and adjacent properties. 

• Provide outstanding environmental education and interpretive programs for all ages in partnership with the Chula 

 Vista Nature Center and create additional partnerships with other public agencies and non-governmental o

 organizations to expand, improve and deliver information to the public about a wide array of natural resource issues.

• Provide opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreational uses that are compatible with refuge purposes and foster a 

broader understanding of the value of, and need for, wildlife conservation.

Draft Refuge Goals for the South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego NWR 

• Protect, enhance, restore, and manage wetland and upland habitats to support native fish, wildlife and plant species.

• Protect, enhance, and manage populations of endangered and threatened species and other species of concern through 

habitat restoration and population management, with special emphasis on California Least Tern, Western Snowy 

Plover, Light-footed Clapper Rail, California Brown Pelican and salt marsh bird’s beak. 

• Provide high quality foraging, resting, and breeding habitat for colonial nesting seabirds and nesting shorebirds, 

waterfowl and salt marsh dependent species, such as Belding’s Savannah Sparrow.

• Provide high quality wintering habitat to benefit migratory shorebirds and water birds.

• Provide opportunities for compatible wildlife-dependent recreational uses that foster public appreciation of the 

unique natural heritage of South San Diego Bay.

DEVELOPING 

REFUGE GOALS

 One of the first steps in the CCP 

process was to develop draft goals 

and objectives for the two refuges. 

Several factors were considered 

when drafting these goals and objectives, including the interim 

goals that were prepared at the 

time the refuges were created, the 

mission of the refuge system, and 

the purpose for which each refuge 

was established (see page 3).

 Further, the project team wanted 

to be certain that the draft goals 

would reflect the desired future 

conditions for these refuges, as defined by the project team and the 

members of the public who participated in the scoping process. The 

draft goals for each refuge are presented below. 
PURPOSES FOR WHICH 

THESE REFUGES WERE 

ESTABLISHED

 The Sweetwater Marsh NWR 

was established in 1988 for the 

purpose of conserving fish or wildlife which are federally listed as 

endangered or threatened species 

and for the development, advancement, management, conservation, 

and protection of fish and wildlife 

resources.

 

 

 

 

 The South San Diego Bay Unit 

was established in 1999 for the 

purpose of protecting, managing, 

and restoring habitats for federally 

listed endangered and threatened 

species and migratory birds, and to 

maintain and enhance the biological diversity of native plants and 

animals.

 3 

Visit the CCP Website

Visit the San Diego Refuges 

website for more information 

about the public uses and 

restoration alternatives being 

evaluated in the draft CCP.

http://sandiegorefuges.fws.gov

Once in the website, click on 

“What’s New” and then click on 

“Read the Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan.” 

No internet access? Contact the 

CCP Planner to obtain project 

information (see page 4).

RESTORATION

PLANNING

 Restoration and enhancement of 

the native habitats within the South 

Bay refuges was an important 

consideration when the Sweetwater 

Marsh NWR and South San Diego 

Bay Unit were established. The 

Sweetwater Marsh NWR includes a 

number of areas identified as future 

mitigation sites, including portions 

of the D Street Fill and Gunpowder 

Point. The Service is also obligated 

to prepare “a holistic habitat 

restoration plan” for the salt works 

property under the terms of our 

Cooperative Agreement with the 

San Diego Unified Port District. 

 Designing restoration plans for 

these refuges has involved a team 

of Fish and Wildlife Service 

representatives, including staff from 

Refuges, Ecological Services, and 

the Coastal Program. The team has 

been evaluating a range of options 

for restoring and/or enhancing 

habitats that support the Refuges’ 

endangered and threatened species, 

as well as the current diversity of 

fish, wildlife, and plant species 

found on these refuges. Three 

public workshops on this topic were 

held over the past year. We began 

in November 2000 by discussing 

general wildlife management and 

restoration concepts.

 At our March 2000 workshop, 

nine conceptual restoration options 

for the South San Diego Bay Unit 

were presented. These options 

were also posted on our website and 

public comments were solicited. 

Based on the comments received 

and additional analysis by the 

project team, restoration alternatives were developed. These 

alternatives were presented at a 

public workshop held in May 2001.

 Comments generated from the 

May workshop resulted in the 

further refinement of several alternatives, as well as the development 

of a new alternative for the salt 

works. These revised alternatives 

can be viewed at the CCP website. 

We will continue to evaluate and 

refine the alternatives based on 

input from FWS biologists, outside 

experts in the field of coastal 

wetland restoration, and the public. 

PUBLIC USE UPDATE

 Guidance for authorizing public 

uses on National Wildlife Refuges 

is provided in the National Wildlife 

Refuge System Improvement Act 

(the Act) of 1997. The Act states,

“compatible wildlife-dependent 

recreation is a legitimate and 

appropriate general public use of 

the System . . . through which the 

American public can develop an 

appreciation for fish and wildlife.” 

 The Act recognizes that wildlifedependent recreational uses 

involving hunting, fishing, wildlife 

observation, wildlife photography, 

and environmental education and 

interpretation, when determined to 

be compatible, are legitimate and 

appropriate public uses of the 

Refuge System that should receive 

priority consideration in refuge 

planning and management.

(Continued on Page 4)

California Least Tern
 4

PUBLIC USE (cont.)

 According to the Act, when a 

wildlife-dependent recreational use 

is determined to be a compatible use 

and is not inconsistent with public 

safety, that activity should be 

facilitated. The term “compatible 

use” is defined as a wildlifedependent recreational use or any 

other use of a refuge that, in the 

sound professional judgment of the 

Refuge Manager, will not materially 

interfere with or detract from the 

fulfillment of the mission of the 

System or the purposes of the 

refuge. 

 The project team presented a 

list of potential refuge uses for 

public discussion at a workshop 

held in June 2001. These uses, 

which include waterfowl hunting, 

fishing, wildlife viewing and 

interpretation, and environmental 

education, will be evaluated in 

the draft CCP. A detailed 

description of the public uses 

proposed for these refuges is 

provided on our CCP website.

 Compatibility determinations 

must be prepared for all uses 

proposed on a refuge. Our 

compatibility determinations 

have not yet been completed and 

a final decision as to which of 

these uses will be authorized on 

these refuges is still pending. 

The completed compatibility 

determinations will be distributed 

with the draft CCP for public 

review and 

comment.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Victoria Touchstone, CCP Planner 

Sweetwater Marsh NWR 

1080 Gunpowder Point Drive, Chula Vista, CA 91910 

Phone: 619-691-1185 Email: Victoria_Touchstone@fws.gov 

First Class Mail

Postage and Fees

PAID

US Department

of the Interior

77 - Permit G

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE

Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge

1080 Gunpowder Point Drive

ista, CA 91910 Chula V